Carving Memories
by Polaroidal.Pen
Summary: Wendy was confused. Everything was finally over- Zeref, Acknologia, and the Spriggan 12 were all defeated. So why did Fairy Tail's victory feel so empty? Wendy suspected it had everything to do with the Ice Statue, but even then, she wasn't sure. But still, she had to find out. Even if there's an annoying mage that's constantly trying to stop her in her dreams.
1. Chapter 1

Dream: Part 1

Time was a weird concept to Wendy. Sure, the minutes and the seconds can go by, but nevertheless, time on the abstract was a concept that forced her in an endless loop of bewilderment. It was hard to describe, but she felt time as it both existed and flowed. There were moments when she felt it as the fifth dimension. Maybe her fight against Dimaria allowed her to feel disconnected with time.

She didn't know. But then there was _time_ and there was also time. Time, the concept that humankind has made that allowed them to organize their existence. Time, in units of what it was and what it will be. Seconds. Minutes. Hours. It was kind of crazy to think about it. The future has yet to exist and the past is long gone.

Yes, perhaps it was part of reality to see that there was no more of a future than there was such thing as a past. That was it, wasn't it?

Wendy felt a gaping hole as she sat down near the bar in Fairy Tail, her home. She wasn't supposed to have her existential crisis. She was supposed to be partying along with the rest of the guild. They were celebrating their past accomplishments of winning the war against all odds. They beat Acnologia. They beat the empire. And they sort of beat Zeref.

Wendy fondly smiled as she saw Carla chat with Happy and Pantherlily. She also giggled at the sight of Erza beating up Natsu, Elfman, and Gajeel for ruining her cake. On her left, Wendy saw Lucy, Levy, and Juvia read a book that has been the recent best-seller. Mirajane and Lisanna were scolding at the Master for his drinking antics with Cana. Laxus was with his team and having a beer with Gildarts.

Everyone was here.

_No, that can't be…We're missing someone, aren't we?_

Wendy tilted her head in confusion. War was costly. It was a miracle that no one died in the war. Sure, the Master pulled off a sacrificial stunt, but he turned out okay. Wendy sighed as she felt something was off. It wasn't a new feeling. She got up, much to the notice of some of her guildmates.

"Leaving so soon?" Mest asked.

She remembered being it a shock when she realized that Mest was also part of the guild, but she quickly got used to it. It was part of being such a rambunctious guild.

"Yes," she nodded politely. "I'm thinking about heading out."

"Are you going to visit 'that' again."

She nodded.

He offered a tentative smile. "Okay, suit yourself. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go make sure our Master doesn't harass anyone with the drunken state that he is."

She laughed. She felt guilty for leaving, but she didn't think she calmly stay put with her mind being so restless. She had confidence that Carle would be fine for the day without her.

She took the road she walked before to take the path that she had taken before. She wasn't usually like this. She let out a sigh as she closely approached the site. It wasn't rare for anyone in the guild to approach the place, whether it would be alone or with friends. It seems to draw them in, like moths with flames. More so than it actually should.

Wendy felt her heart ache. She sighed as she approached the figure.

"Hello, Ice-san," she offered a weak smile. She sat down, crossing her legs in front of an ice sculpture. She remembered when the guild first saw Zeref covered in ice

_Where's Zeref?!_

_Calm down, Natsu! _

_Why is there ice? _

_Look, we get you're confused, but we need to figure this out later. We have Acnologia to worry about!_

_I don't like this…_

* * *

With the fight over, people made their attempts to recover from the shock and broken the battle left behind. There were homes to be repaired. Wounds to be mended. Scars to be healed. "How did you defeat, Zeref?" Erza asked as she joined the rest of the guild back at the harbor. "He was, after all, kind of immortal."

"Well," Natsu hesitated to respond. He crossed his arms, tilting his head in confusion. He wasn't really answering the question, prompting everyone to be confused.

Gajeel just shook his head. "Unbelievable," he muttered. "You don't even know how you defeated him?"

"It's just," Natsu hesitated to answer. "It wasn't me."

"What?"

"It wasn't me that defeated Zeref," Natsu explained. He seemed frustrated as he looked like he was recalling the events. "I… I don't know. When I showed up at the guild, I just saw him frozen."

"What he means," Lucy interjected, offering a more detailed explanation. "Is that we showed up at the guild just to see Zeref frozen with an ice spell."

"So what you're saying," Erza said slowly. "Is that Zeref was defeated before you came?"

Wendy saw Natsu nod and she frowned. That sounds… to convenient. It was a deus ex machina. "Who could have done such a thing?" Wendy asked.

"I…I don't know," Natsu said. He was frowning. "I think I should. It's on the tip of my tongue, but nothing is coming up. It's just…foggy."

"Could it be Lyon?" Lucy offered.

"What about me?"

The group of people turned to see the famous ice mage walk towards the group, with curiosity in his eyes.

"Were you the one who defeated Zeref?" Natsu asked, practically demanding Lyon to answer.

He frowned. "No… I was here at the harbor the entire time. If I had defeated Zeref, I would have told people."

Natsu growled. Lucy tried to calm him down. "Something isn't right," he muttered. Wendy agreed.

Wendy mustered up the courage inside her to speak. The group was getting larger and the murmurs were getting louder. Everyone was getting curious about what just happened. "Lyon-san," she said, much to the surprise of the ice-mage. "Apparently, Zeref is frozen with an ice spell back at the guild. Would you mind checking it for us? You're the only ice mage in Fiore as far as we know."

"Sure thing," Lyon said. "Let's go, shall we?"

They arrived at the guild and everyone nervously looked at Lyon inspecting the ice. He walked around it attentively and eventually placed a hand on what would have been Zeref's chest. He closed his eyes, concentrating. "Weird," he muttered.

"Anything wrong, Lyon-san?" Wendy asked nervously.

"This work seems…familiar."

"What's that suppose to mean?" Gajeel growled.

"I don't know," Lyon admitted. "I get what you mean, Natsu. Identifying this makes my head feel fuzzy."

Natsu sighed as he also approached the sculpture. Inside the ice cast was his brother, but it wasn't just Zeref that bothered him. Wendy looked at him with concern. It was rare to see Natsu so quiet and reflective.

"Are you alright, Natsu-san?"

He casted his hand with fire as he touched the sculpture, much to everyone's alarm except Lyon.

"Hey, what are you doing?" Lucy asked frantically.

"It's not going to work," Lyon said rather dismissively. "I don't think a simple ice spell that could be melted would have beaten Zeref."

"I know," Natsu said. "It's just…This feels familiar. I recognize this magic. I recognize the person who casted this."

"Who is it?"

"I… I don't know," Natsu said. "But what I do know is that this isn't a normal spell."

"Iced shell."

Natsu casted a look at the silver ice mage. He looked surprised, but Wendy suspected that he was more surprised that he knew of it. "Yeah," he said, considering what Lyon said. "That."

Lyon growled. "I don't like this."

Natsu just nodded while some of the people watching looked confused. "Some ice mage must have casted this spell… Not good at all."

"Why is that?" Elfman asked confused. "Isn't good we had someone who defeated Zeref for us?"

"This spell," Lyon explained with a sigh. "Requires sacrifice. An exchange of one's body to cast a spell that can freeze anything."

"That means…" Erza spoke hesitantly.

"That someone sacrificed themselves to defeat Zeref."

The silence hung in the air and the question loomed over the people. They all knew what to ask, but they were afraid to speak out.

It seems as if it was Wendy's role to break the silence. "So who did it?" Wendy asked.

Levy pondered at the question. "Let's narrow it down."

"Right," Lucy nodded. "So it must be a powerful ice mage to take down Zeref and that leaves us to either Ultear or Lyon as far as we know."

Wendy nodded. Ice mages were rather rare in Fiore.

"But the problem is," Lyon said. "I'm still here alive and Ultear…is well."

"It couldn't have been Ultear," Wendy explained. "Last time we saw her, she wasn't in the condition to cast such a spell."

"That leaves us with no one," Erza muttered. She crossed her arms, deeply thinking over the logical fallacy they were facing. "Something isn't adding up."

"I just don't know," Lyon said with a sigh. He seemed frustrated and confused. "I should. I really should, but everything is hazy at the moment. It's so weird."

"What if it's someone we know?" Wendy fretted. "What if was one our guildmates and we're just standing here unaware of what they've done?" It sounded ridiculous, but Wendy couldn't help but shake the feeling that the wizard was _someone_ they knew. It was someone important.

"I'm sure we'll figure it out," Lucy said reassuringly. "Right now, everything is confusing, but I think once the dust settles in, everything would make sense."

Wendy sure hoped so. Seeing her worries, Lyon offered her a small smile and ruffled her hair. This was the first time Lyon did this to Wendy, but it felt familiar. The cool hand on her head and the clean smell of pine trees and mint… It felt nostalgic and made her feel safe. Like she was protected. She felt a gaping hole in her heart and she didn't know why. It hurt.

"Wendy?" Lyon asked, stunned. "Are you alright?"

She didn't realize that she was crying. Her fingers touched her cheek to feel wet drops. "I'm sorry," she said as she tried her best to wipe away the tears.

"Are you okay?" Erza demanded, worried. "What's wrong? Is there anything that's hurting?"

"I'm okay," Wendy assured. "It's just… it hurts."

"What hurts?"

"My chest," she said. She felt dumb. The injuries she had during the war was nothing compared to this. "I, I don't know why, but it just hurts."

Lucy hugged Wendy for comfort, but it didn't help her feel better. The gaping hole only grew. "I'm sure we'll be fine," Lucy promised. She offered her a tentative smile. "Let's just go back and celebrate, okay? I know its hard, but we still have a lot of work to be done for the future."

Erza sighed. "She's right. Everyone, we should go back."

There was a lot of grumbles and grunts made. Clearly, everyone was unhappy with the circumstance. It was a sour feeling and rather uncathartic to not know who their savior was and why they made their sacrifice. Wendy walked with the group but felt two scents linger around the ice sculpture. She turned around to see Natsu and Lyon still facing the statue.

"Natsu-san? Lyon-san?" she called out to them.

Their faces were scrunched up, intently focusing on what was left of Zeref. She approached them with concern. They looked very distressed.

"Damn it!" Natsu said as he clutched his head. "I should know this person! Why is nothing coming to me?"

"Beats me," Lyon sighed. "This is really bothering me."

Wendy couldn't agree more. "Lucy-san said that things would be more clear after everything has settled. We can move this statue to a more appropriate place and then maybe we can figure it out?"

"You're right," Lyon said. "We just have to focus on what's ahead of us for now. We still got a lot of work to do."

They went off, lingering their sight on the statue, hoping that whatever, or whoever it was, they can know.

* * *

Wendy sighed. "Lucy-san was wrong," she said. She looked up to see the ice sculpture. Things haven't improved since the war. In fact, things only got worse. She had a hard time remembering. All the memories that she held dear were fuzzy and static as if something was interfering with her head, not wanting her to know anything. She wasn't the only one who felt this way. A lot of people in the guild were scratching their heads over their memories. Her teammates: Lucy, Erza, Happy, and especially Natsu were taking the worst of it.

_You remember that crazy time we snuck out to Galuna Island?_

_Yeah…But how did we managed to fix everything?_

_ …_

_Or that time against Tartaros? _

_I remember fighting with someone._

_Sting and Rogue?_

_No…They were down fighting against their master. _

_ …_

It wasn't just memories, but the dynamic of the guild that also seemed off. The guild was a lot quieter than she remembered and people seemed to act differently. Natsu wasn't picking out fights as much as she remembered. Or, he does, but every time he calls out the guild for a fight, he doesn't seem satisfied with anyone challenging him. Cana's drinking habits were a lot more out of controlled than Wendy thought. Lucy always looked around the guild, searching for a mage would read her manuscript. Erza looks like she lost a trusted partner the way she looks around the guild.

She hugged her crossed legs. The guild wasn't the same anymore. Her life wasn't what she pictured it to be in her head.

It hurt.

"Why, ice-san?" she asked. She trembled as she couldn't stop her tears. "I just want everything to go back to normal. But I don't even know what normal means anymore."

She let herself stay there. She didn't want to go back home to Carle. Home. That word didn't mean much to her anymore. How can you call a place your home when it's not what you know any more?

It was getting dark and Wendy should have known than to stay there. The night was getting cold but she didn't care. She was too exhausted to move. After crying, her eyes were tired and getting heavy. Maybe a quick nap would do her good? She was playing a dangerous game here. But she just couldn't get herself to care about the consequence of her decision as she closed her eyes, falling into the deep abyss they call sleep.

It was the Banquet that the kingdom hosted after the Grand Magic Games. The Grand Banquet. She was dreaming, wasn't she? She remembered the incident that happened a year ago but failed to recall the exact details. It happened with nearly every memory there was. She felt her body move and act on its own. She spoke instinctively. She was conscious and aware, but it seems as if she was reliving a memory like a ghost possessing a fully functioning body.

She felt a sweet sensation in her tongue as she ate desserts with Sherria. Even if she couldn't move on her own, she could still feel everything that the 'dream' Wendy was doing. She felt herself salivate as she took another bite out of the chocolate cake. She wasn't complaining at all.

There were multiple transitions during the dream. An instance where she was talking with Erza and Lucy. She laughed at a funny joke Happy said to Carle.

This wasn't a bad dream. It felt nice to relive the moment during the Grand Banquet. There was a sense of pride and relief she felt during the entire time she was dreaming. Wendy suspected it was the dominant emotion during the whole event. As the dream dragged on, she wondered when it would end. It wasn't until a bell rung that perked her interest. Slowly, the hall filled with people dancing. She saw Gajeel waltz with Levy. She saw Erza with Kagura. It was nice. The slow music played in the background. She felt regret for forgetting such a treasured memory, but she was here and she was going to relive it again so that she could never forget it when she woke up.

She saw herself standing near the end of the hall. She felt a sigh as she should have expected what she would have done. Her singleness was rather expected. It wasn't until a voice called out to her that made Wendy's chest explode into pieces.

"What's a wonderful lady like you to be here all alone?"

She turned around to see… She couldn't recognize the person. She didn't know who this person was and yet, he was smiling as if they were close. She felt the heat rise to her cheeks. Tall, dark eyes with a muscular built. He was certainly something to be admired. He gave out a hand with a cheeky grin. She felt herself willing to take the hand.

"How are you doing?" the man asked. His voice was cool and yet, Wendy found it comforting. It was gentle. Like snow.

"I'm just happy everything ended with Fairy Tail's victory," she founded herself saying.

"Yeah," he said back. "I'm so proud of you for doing what you did out there."

Wendy blushed. "It wasn't much," she heard herself saying. "I just did what I had to do."

"And it was amazing. Against Sheria and the Dragons? Jeez, you're going to be a force to reckon someday."

There was something about what he said that made her want to cry. Wendy saw herself look up to this man as they slow danced through the hall. She felt herself smiling. The feeling of admiration. Respect. Fondness. Every warm emotion flooded her and it hurt. The gaping hole in her chest only grew at the sight of the man. She felt herself cry but she couldn't. She had no control of her own body. She was only forced to relive the memories of her forgotten past. And she wanted to scream in pain.

Fading. Fading. Everything around her started to slow down. The music was long gone and lights dimmed out. Maybe she was waking up, but she didn't care. All that mattered to her was that she was in front of someone she dearly cared for, and she had no idea who it was. It felt as if it was her older brother, but she didn't know. She couldn't recognize him. It hurt to know how she had failed him.

He was still there, gently holding her hand. He looked sad and offered a pained smile. "I'm so sorry, Wendy."

Wendy felt something rise to her throat and she felt tears drop down again. Her vision was fading to oblivion. "No," she said. She got her voice back. "Please, tell me who you are!"

The man still stood there in front of her, "I didn't mean to hurt you or anybody," he said. "I just wanted what's best for my family. That included you."

"Please," she begged. "What's best for me is to know who you are!"

The man just shook his head and sighed. "No, it's dangerous for me to do this."

"I want-no, I need to know. I just can't do anything anymore."

"Hey now," the man said with a smile. He patted her on the head as if it was something he's done a thousand times before. "You'll be fine. You're the brightest mage we have in Fairy Tail."

The pat on her head felt familiar. He felt familiar. She was fading out. Losing control over her vision. "No," she muttered. "No. NO!"

She woke up with urgent voices.

"Wendy! Wake up! Wake up!"

"Hmm?" she asked wearily. She rubbed her eyes, trying to assess the position that she was in. She was no longer cold. Maybe it was because it was the morning? Yes, it was the morning. The light shining indicated that. "Hello," she mumbled sleepily as she scented multiple people around her.

"Thank goodness, you're awake!" Wendy heard a relief and it sounded like it was Lucy.

"Do you have any idea how much trouble you caused us?" Erza demanded. "Carle nearly woke the entire Fairy Hills when she realized you weren't back home late at night."

"Sorry everyone," she said with guilt.

Carle said with a huff. "It isn't like you to be so reckless and troublesome."

"Sorry…"

Erza just sighed. "We'll talk later. Right now, we're just glad you're safe. We thought you froze to death with so much ice near around."

"Ice?" Wendy looked around and much to her surprise, there were ice trails around her, encircling around her and the ice sculpture. "That's weird," she said. "I remember feeling really warm throughout the night."

"Maybe it's the coat?"

Wendy felt stupid to realize the coat wrapped around her. It was a white coat with blue linings. She held it tighter as she wondered, how did this get here? It was a large coat, too big for her, but it might have been a perfect size for the man she met at the banquet… The scent of the coat was pine trees filled with snow and mint. The whole coat felt too familiar to her and it drove her crazy. The feeling of recognizing yet not knowing anything killed her.

"Well, the ice must have protected you from any danger during the night and I suppose the coat kept you warm. It doesn't matter, we're going back to the guild to inform everyone that you're safe."

Wendy only nodded in response. She felt the hole in her heart grow. She sighed as she got up with the rest of the mages and walked back to the guild. Still wearing the coat, she felt a jingle in the pocket. She took it out to see a silver necklace, a sword with a cross dented in it. It felt familiar. She didn't know why, but she felt driven to wear the necklace. It wasn't chanted, but it made Wendy feel different wearing the necklace. It was cooling and relaxing for her to wear it.

She felt safe. She felt as if she was protected.

She felt her stomach drop as she remembered her dream. The man… Who was he? How did he recognize her? Why did he apologize at the end?

Wendy didn't know. Wendy, as smart as she was, was lost. But that didn't matter. She clutched the necklace, vowing to figure out the riddle that plagued the entire guild. Something was missing. Something was gone. And she was going to get to the bottom of it.

**Remember the scene where Gray danced with Wendy? I sure do... And I thought it was adorable. It's a shame that Mashima never bothered to explore different friendship dynamics despite it being the dominant theme for the series. Oh well, that's what Fanfiction is for! I hope you enjoyed the first part! I think I'm sticking with Wendy's perspective for the rest of the series and I hope you guys can enjoy this one as well! Please drop a review to let me know what you think!**


	2. Chapter 2

Dream: Part 2

Wendy walked into the guild expecting to see a fight. After all, that's what Fairy Tail was known for. But instead, she just saw Natsu, one of the biggest troublemakers in the guild, staring off into space at a table. She saw Gajeel at the corner tables just looking down. Elfman was with his drink.

"This doesn't seem right," she said to herself. It wasn't meant to be told aloud, but Lucy nodded her head in agreement.

"I understand where you're coming from," Lucy muttered as she walked to her usual spot. Wendy decided to follow her. "The guild doesn't seem like Fairy Tail anymore." They sat down and waved a friendly hello to Mirajane. She offered a smile back but she also seemed pretty distracted.

"Is there something wrong, Mira-san?" Wendy asked, a bit worried.

Mira shook off the look she and forced herself the beautiful smile she always donned. "It's nothing too important," she said dismissively. "I was just wondering when the guild decided to become so weird. But that's beside the point, I'm sure everyone would act normal again sooner or later. What would you girls like to drink?"

Wendy pondered for a moment. She would have asked for her usual, but she decided against it. She snuggled in the coat she was wearing. She valued it too much to let it go. "May I just have water…with ice?"

Mira tilted her head in confusion. "I guess everyone is acting weird lately," she said with a giggle.

Wendy also let out a soft laugh. "Don't read too much into it, Mira-san." Mira just nodded her head as she went to go get the drinks. Wendy was distracted from watching Natsu do nothing. He was leaning across the table, looking solemn. It wasn't like Natsu at all.

"Thank you for the drink, Mira-san," Wendy said.

The white-haired mage handed her a drink and noticed how she was staring at Natsu. "He's been like that since he's been here," Mira offered to explain. "No one really knows why though."

She gratefully took the cold drink and got up from her chair. "I think I'm going to check up on him."

"You want me to come with you?" Lucy asked.

Wendy shook her head. "I think there's something I want to ask him that's a bit personal."

"About what?"

"Just his mood, Lucy-san."

Lucy shrugged. "Just make sure he's okay for me. I'm getting worried about him lately. He hasn't been taking the ice sculpture with Zeref well."

Wendy nodded before taking off the meet with the older dragon slayer. After the incident, they haven't gone on team jobs lately. Wendy missed her teammates and she wished they could go on jobs again.

"Good morning, Natsu-san," Wendy said with a smile.

Natsu didn't bother to look up and responded with a grunt.

"Don't even bother to try," Happy said with a sad look on his face. He was floating around Natsu. "He won't even respond to my insults or anything!"

"That's because they're lame, Happy," Natsu said promptly. He maintained his position, leaning across the table with a scowl. But he picked himself up to properly look at Wendy. Before he spoke anything, he stiffened.

"Is there anything wrong?"

"Where did you get that coat?"

"Oh, this?" Wendy asked as she wore the same coat in the morning. It was big and flimsy on her but she refused to take it off. It felt nice to wear it. It was her first time seeing it, but there was familiarity behind it. "I found it this morning. Why?"

Natsu looked stunned. He immediately got up and approached closer to Wendy. Wendy, startled, almost flinched back. She was tempted to ask what he was doing. But he just sat back down and gave out a tired sigh. "I'm sorry," he said as he looked back at Wendy. He looked sad and frustrated. The common emotions Wendy felt herself lately. "I just thought I recognized that somewhere."

Wendy tilted her head. "How do you recognize what you've never seen?" She may have asked the question, but she already knew what Natsu meant.

"I don't know," Natsu said, rubbing his eyes. He let his eyes downcast back to the table. "I just don't know."

"Natsu-san," Wendy said with concern. "Are you alright?"

"No," he mumbled. "Not really."

"Can you explain more?" Wendy prompted.

"What's there to tell?" Natsu said flatly. "I don't know why I'm feeling this way. I just am."

"Does this have to do with that ice statue?"

Natsu considered it for a while. "Probably," he decided. "I just don't know, Wendy. I just don't know. I'm confused and there are not enough clues around for me to figure out what's going on."

Wendy flinched. She felt the necklace she was wearing grow heavier. Should she tell Natsu her story? She wasn't sure how he would react to it. She doubted it would be positive. There was something significant about the necklace and the coat. But Wendy wasn't sure what to do with such random objects thrown at her during her time with the ice sculpture.

"I shouldn't drag you into this," Natsu said with a smile. He got up from the table and made his way out of the guild. "I'm just going to go home early for the day. You take care, all right?"

"Wait, Natsu-san!"

Too late. He was already on nearby the door and before Wendy could call him out, he sped-walked away. He sure wasn't slowing down.

"So even you couldn't get to him?"

Wendy sighed. "No, Erza-san. I couldn't."

Erza took a seat next to her and rested her head with her hand. She scratched her head. She seemed just as lost and confused as Natsu.

"Are you also not feeling well, Erza-san?"

Erza was taken aback by the question. She hesitated a bit but she gradually allowed herself to relax in front of the sky mage. "I guess you can say that," Erza said. "Things haven't been the same since the end of the war."

"So it wasn't just me to feel that way."

Erza nodded. "We should all feel happy for a miracle that everyone survived. And yet… I can't help but feel as though someone is missing."

Wendy felt her heart stop at what Erza said. This may seem related to the man she met in her dreams. Wendy could feel the responsibility on her shoulders as she realized that she was the only one who was aware of everything. The necklace she wore that was hidden under her shirt got heavier.

_It's dangerous_, the man warned. Wendy didn't care. She got up again with a new resolve. What if...

"Where are you going, Wendy?" Erza asked.

Wendy offered her a smile. "I just have someone to meet," she said nonchalantly.

She was going to fix this guild.

She walked towards the Thunder Legion who were casually sitting at a table. They weren't talking, much to Wendy's surprise. Sure, they enjoyed to just watch the guild perform their antics, but Wendy suspected that they also were concerned by the weirdness Fairy Tail was struggling with. She took a deep breath, preparing herself to speak to the people. "Hello," she said.

They turned towards her with a surprise. "Good morning, Wendy," Freed said. Evergreen and Laxus also nodded back. "What brings you here?"

"I was looking for Bixslow-san," Wendy said.

"Me?" Bixslow said, stunned. "It wasn't me. It was Elfman's fault."

"Umm, that's not the reason why I'm here," Wendy said, although she had no idea what he meant.

"What do you mean it's Elfman's fault?"

"Calm down, Ever. No need to defend your man like that too aggressively."

"Why you!-"

"Umm," Wendy said, trying to disrupt the argument between Bixslow and Evergreen. "If possible, I would like to ask you something important."

"Sure thing," he said as he tried to push away Evergreen. He stood up, expecting her to ask her question away.

"Umm," Wendy tried to say. "Is it okay if this is done, in private?"

"Oh," Bixslow said. He scratched his head in confusion. "Yeah, sure. I guess we can head the library."

"Don't scare her too much!" The calls went out from the rest as Wendy and Bixslow walked toward the back of the guild.

"Okay," Bixslow said, as they had a room away from the public's ears. "What is it that you wanted me to talk about?"

Wendy tried her best to formulate her thoughts. It was confusing. There were too many things happening at once for her to properly ask about. She took a deep breath. One step at a time. "Yes," she said. "But first, can I ask about your Seith Magic."

"My Seith magic?"

"To know what extent can you see?"

"Well," Bixslow said. He took off his mask to show his eyes glowing green. "It's a bit of dark magic, actually. One I'm not proud of." He shifted his position from left to right. Wendy suspected the topic of his magic got him trouble before this.

"It's okay, Bixslow-san," Wendy reassured. "My magic was born to kill dragons. I think magic can only cause damage if we allow it to."

Bixslow smiled. "I suppose so," he said. "But the concept of my magic is nevertheless pretty dark. I can see wandering souls."

"When you say wandering souls, do you mean like a ghost?"

"Not really," he said. "Ghosts are a different story."

Wendy tilted her head in confusion. "Okay," he said. "I won't get too meta into this, but think of ghost as those who lived life with an unfulfilled purpose."

"What does that mean?"

Bixslow sighed. He traced the mask that he held. "Everyone dies, Wendy. But not everyone will get a chance to live."

"...I see. And souls are different from that?"

"Right," he said with a nod. "The reason a soul can still wonder on this Earth, is I suppose because it can? Every soul has a different reason. One of which I didn't bother to ask because it didn't feel right for me too. But it could also be because a soul is stuck between the purgatory: the limbo of the world, I suppose."

Wendy considered what he said. Okay, so far, so good. It was probably time to ask the hard question. "Then what about the ice caster?"

Bixslow shifted his position again. He kept his eyes on his mask. "I don't really know," he admitted. "I only see the colors of a soul."

"Colors?"

"Everything that indicates there is a soul is there," Bixslow explained. "But I can't see the exact soul itself. It's strange. Think of it like having horrible eyesight and trying to see something far away. It's blurry, so you can't say the details of what it is. But you can still tell that _something_ is there. You just don't know what it is."

Wendy considered what he meant. Why couldn't Bixslow see anything? "How about this?" Wendy said as she took off the coat and necklace she wore. "I found this when I was at the site."

Bixslow's breath hitched. "You think this is related to the ice caster?"

Wendy nodded. "Can you check it for me?"

"I will," Bixslow said. His green eyes shone brighter and Wendy sat there, nervous. There was a tense silence and Wendy wondered if it was working. Out of nowhere, Bixslow doubled over, wincing in pain. A spark of blue magic casted off from the necklace.

"Are you alright?" Wendy bolted. "What happened?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Bixslow said as he got back up. He looked shaky as if he saw something that shook him to his core. "Just surprised."

"Are you alright?" Wendy asked in concern. He was staring at the material was fear. He was trembling as he tried to support himself back into the chair.

"It tried to stop me," Bixslow said. "Something was actively trying to stop me from reaching the soul. It was weird."

Wendy stood there, stunned. She tried to figure out what he meant.

"But," Bixslow said with a grin. "I saw something clearer this time. At least, I saw something."

"What did you see?"

"It's difficult to describe a soul," Bixslow said. "But the ice caster is still technically alive. I've seen enough to know that he's alive…ish"

"So we can technically bring him back?" Wendy said with a hopeful smile.

"Well," Bixslow said nervously. "I wouldn't jump to that conclusion. There's something that's interfering with me. I can't reach him because something is stopping me to do so."

"I see," Wendy said. She bowed her head in gratitude. "Thank you so much, Bixslow-san."

He smiled. "Don't sweat it. I'm glad to offer help. Come talk to me anytime you have a new lead somewhere, okay?"

"I sure will," Wendy said. As she walked out after collecting the materials back, she turned to face Bixslow again. "Also, is it possible if we can keep this between us? I don't want to cause a disturbance. I think Fairy Tail has its problems already."

Bixslow nodded. "Yeah, you got it.

"Once again, thank you!"

* * *

"What is it that you wanted to talk to me about?" Makarov smiled gently. "I know you're not here for anything minor because my next medical appointment isn't until next week."

"I just wanted to ask you some questions if that's alright with you," Wendy said politely.

"It's no problem, anything for my children."

"Thank you," Wendy said. Wendy's gut told her that he knew something. The master knew something that the rest didn't. And whatever it was, he was taking it hard. He was drinking more and often times, he would stare quietly into space, looking sad. "It seems to me that you know something about the ice caster."

Makarov tilted his head. She remembered seeing him with the ice castor once.

_I'm sorry. I failed you as a grandparent. _She heard him say.

Makarov tilted his head. "He casted iced shell and he sacrificed his life to save the guild for us. He sacrificed his life to save Natsu due to his circumstance with Zeref and E.N.D."

Wendy shook her head. She knew that. Everyone knew that by know. "There's more," Wendy said. "There's more to this that you're not telling us, master."

"I'm just an old man who doesn't know anything."

"We both know that's not true."

Makarov flinched. Wendy was wondering if she was being too disrespectful but Wendy disregarded the idea. The topic was too important for her to care about the consequences. Eventually, Makarov sighed. "I swore to myself that I wouldn't tell anyone this."

Wendy felt her heart stop. "Why is that?"

Makarov sat there at his office. The evening sunlight cast a shadow on him. "I'm warning you, Wendy. Sometimes, it's best not to know."

"I have to," Wendy said. She clenched her fist. "I have to."

"I understand," Makarov said. "But, it won't be pretty."

"Please."

Makarov took a deep sigh. "The ice castor," he said. Wendy leaned forward. She swallowed her spit. "Was one of us."

Wendy was taken aback by it. "What?"

"Whoever the person was," Makarov said. He was trembling. "Was one of us. I know."

"Then why," Wendy struggled to say the words. "Why couldn't we know who did it?"

Makarov sighed. "Lost art. It seems that the mage added in lost art to iced shell to create the ultimate spell."

Wendy didn't speak. She was too stunned.

"Adding their existence to the spell... to exponentially increases the strength of it. It seems that whoever did it, sacrificed their existence."

"That still doesn't explain how we forgot about the person."

"The consequence of it, it seems, is that we forget about the person as well."

Wendy didn't speak. She tried to figure out what he meant by that. The ice castor's existence. "Thank you," she said with a voice of hollowness. She should have asked for more, but she couldn't. The master was too distressed and Wendy was too confused. She got up and left the office, the necklace felt colder than ever.

She watched as the guild performed its half-hearted brawl. She saw Gajeel take a jab at Elfman, but Wendy could tell that neither weren't into it. They were only going through the motions of what they expected themselves to do. Natsu was nowhere to be found.

_The castor was one of us._

_It seems…that we also have to forget who the person was._

It shocked Wendy but it also didn't surprise her. A spell to wipe out the caster's existence. Why would anyone do such a horrific spell? She didn't know. She took a sip out of her water.

It could have been someone she knew. And she would have no idea that they were gone. Their existence to be gone in this world and have no one recognize it… Wendy felt nauseous at the idea. He could have been Natsu's best friend. Lucy's confidante. Erza's partner. Juvia's lover. And they wouldn't know. They wouldn't know a single thing that was missing in their life. They could only feel the gaping hole that they could feel that can never be filled except for the person who no longer existed. She felt her chest hurt again.

"Wendy?"

The guild around her paused their activities. It wasn't until they noticed that she was crying was that she noticed it too. However, she couldn't stop her tears. She couldn't stop the hole in her heart that only grew. The coat she refused to take off provided a hallow comfort around her. It was a reminder that someone was missing. And she had no idea who it was.

"Are you- are you alright?" Lucy asked, stunned. She placed her book down and hesitantly approached her as the rest of the guild stood at their position, shell-shocked.

Wendy shook her head. Of course, she wasn't. No one was. "I think, I'm going to go home," she said as she got off the stool.

"Good idea," Charle said as she also approached Wendy.

Wendy only shook her head. "I want to go alone. It's not that late, so you can be with the guild for a while."

"So you can leave to go to that place?"

Wendy just nodded. "Please, Carle," she said. Carle stiffened.

"Fine," she said. "Just please, be safe."

Wendy offered a small smile. There were still tears in her eyes. "Of course." She walked out of the guild, ignoring the concerned looks in her guildmates eyes.

Wendy didn't expect to see anyone else at the site again. "Natsu-san?" she asked in shock. There was Natsu, looking glumly at the ice sculpture. He sat there, resting his arms on his crossed legs. That explained where he was.

He turned around and looked surprised. "Wendy?"

She offered him a smile. "What are you doing here with Ice-san instead back at the guild?"

Natsu shrugged as he stared back at the ice. "Just felt like being with this ice-princess," he said.

"Ice-princess?" she asked.

"It just came to my mind," he said. "Is it rude of me to do so?"

"I think it's weird," she said. "But…it felt natural when you said that."

He looked back at her, stunned. He slowly recollected himself. "Yeah," he said. "I guess natural was the word I was looking for."

She sat down next to him, letting herself feel the warmth that radiated off of the fire mage. "You haven't been the same," Wendy said.

"Same could be said to you," Natsu responded. "A tough girl like you crying randomly ought to worry everyone out."

"I'm sorry," she apologized. "It's just been hurting, I guess."

"This whole…disaster?"

"Yeah, disaster."

Natsu sighed. "I don't blame you," he said.

Wendy turned to look at the fire mage. "Have you been hurting too?"

Natsu shrugged. Leave it to boys to act all tough. "Natsu-san," she earnestly said. "You can be honest with me."

He sat still, hugging his legs closer to his chest. He was trembling and Wendy could tell that he was trying to hold it in. "Please," she said. "We're family. What's been bothering you?'

"It's not the same!" He cried out. He looked so distressed and pained, it stunned Wendy.

"Natsu-san…"

"Nothing is the same, Wendy. You know it. Everyone knows it. I feel so empty now and I don't know why!" He clutched his chest and he stared harder at the ice figure. Inside was his brother, Zeref. But they already saw Zeref walk happily away with Mavis to their afterlife and reincarnation. He got his happy ending. Where was Fairy Tail's?

"Natsu-san." Wendy didn't really know what to say. What were you suppose? She was crying herself not too long ago. They were, what you call, a mess.

"This sucks."

Wendy laughed. Call her crazy, but something about the understatement made her break. She kept laughing. Maybe it was because the situation was so damn funny to an outsider. They won the war, but they lost themselves in the process.

Natsu must have also seemed to have found it funny because he was smiling as well. They both must have lost their minds.

"I thought everything would be back to normal," Wendy said.

Natsu snorted in response. "I don't even know what normal is any more." He sighed. The night was getting colder and darker. Wendy, still having the coat, offered a part of. Natsu grateful accepted it. "It smells familiar," Natsu said. He scowled. "Like I want to punch it."

"Natsu-san," Wendy said with a small smile. Leave it to the fire dragon slayer to fight anything.

"But it feels nice," he said. "I don't know how to describe it, but I missed this feeling. It makes me feel like this was an important part of my life before."

Wendy nodded. She knew what he meant. Somehow, the presence of the materials and Natsu together made sense to her. It brought her a sense of comfort. She didn't know why, but she felt like the coat belonged to Natsu as rightly as it did to her. As if the person who wore it mattered to both of them. Later on, she would tell the guild about her findings. She would later tell them about the material, but for now…

"Can we stay like this a little longer?" She said. She was sharing the coat with Natsu over their heads. Like a blanket. She felt like a little kid again. The warmth and the cold together made her drowsy. Like the cold side of the pillow and the warmth of the blanket in bed.

Natsu nodded. "Yeah, we can."

And with that, for the second time, she let herself fall deep into the slumber in front of the ice sculpture. With the coat, with the necklace, and with Natsu, Wendy could only hope of regaining the feeling of hope that she lost during the war. She wanted to find home again.

"You guys are impossible."

Wendy rubbed her eyes as she stumbled to get up. Where was she? Was she dreaming again? It wasn't like last time where she was reliving in a memory. This felt different. She was… conscious. "Hello?" she mumbled out. Still disoriented, she felt herself sway around. She heard a sigh.

"Why would you guys bother to sleep in front of a damn ice sculpture? It's not like you guys are homeless or anything."

Who was speaking? His voice felt familiar. It made her heart relax as if this was what they've been searching for all along.

Slowly, the grogginess was starting to fade and her sense was coming back to her. "Who are you?" she heard a voice next to her. It was Natsu. Were they dreaming together?

"You wouldn't know," the person responded back. He was standing across from them, leaning on his right leg. He was wearing a pair of gray military pants with a fitted black shirt. He had spiky black hair with his hands in his pockets. He looked…

"You're the person I danced with," she blurted out. "At the Grand Banquet."

The man seemed as surprised as Natsu was next to her. "Wait," Natsu said, realizing who else was in the dream. "You're here too, Wendy?"

"You guys," the man said before Wendy had a chance to talk. "Should seriously wake up and leave. Go back home, it's comfy there."

"I sleep where I want," Natsu snarled.

"Seriously, Natsu, it's not safe for you to act this way. You too, Wendy. It's nice of you guys to look at the ice, but it's nothing worth looking at forever."

"How do you know our names?" Wendy asked. Looking at the way the man hesitated, Wendy took a step forward. "So you know us. But we don't know you. Who are you?"

The man didn't respond and Natsu was growing impatient. "Listen," he said. He was irritated because the man insulted the ice. It didn't feel right to hear it as well for Wendy. He also took a step and snatch the man's clothes by the collar. "Maybe it's because you seem punchable right now, but I really want to punch you in the face."

Wendy wanted to stop Natsu for being rude, but she couldn't. But more like she didn't want to. Something was stopping her…

"Has anyone told you how stupid you are?"

"Well, has anyone told you that you're an asshole right now?"

"Yeah, and it's the biggest prick I've seen who's standing right in front of me."

"Why you!"

As Natsu raised his fist, Wendy felt no need to stop him from harming the man. Instead, she laughed. She laughed so hard that her stomach hurt. She couldn't stop herself from laughing and it was to a point where she was crying. It just felt…natural. It felt so natural to hear those exact voices to banter. It felt so nice.

Natsu must have sensed it too because, despite the loud cries, he was also smiling and crying. A heavyweight got off their chest and they finally felt free. Whoever this man was, he mattered to them. He mattered to them a lot.

"What's wrong with you?" The man asked, concerned. "Why are you guys crying?"

"I'm not!" Natsu said defensively. He quickly wiped away the tears. Wendy didn't bother as she just wanted to watch them interact.

"You're going to have to lie better," he said flatly.

"Why do you even care?"

The guy hesitated to respond, much to their curiosity. "Because," he said, choosing his words carefully. "I just do."

Natsu snorted. "That's hardly a reason."

"Do I need a reason to care?"

Natsu grunted. "Now if you don't mind," the man said. "Would you kindly let go of me?"

Natsu stood there for a while, thinking over his choices. "No."

"Oh, come on," the man complained. "This is hardly the place for us to argue."

"Just who are you?" Natsu said, refusing to let go. "Why the hell do we feel so comfortable around you?"

"Beats me, flame brain."

Wendy felt her heart stop. Natsu must have felt something too because he also reacted strongly to it. "What did you say?" he demanded.

"I said beats me on why you're acting so weird around me."

"No," he said. "You called me something."

The man looked surprised. "I said flame brain" he spoke hesitantly. He spoke slower as if he was thinking twice over his word choice. "It's just something I use to insult idiots like you, nothing too special."

"No," Natsu dismissed the man's poor excuse. "That meant something."

The man looked down, refusing to meet Natsu's eyes. "Maybe," he said.

"Why won't you tell us!" Natsu screamed. He clutched his hands tighter around the man's collar. "Dammit, just tell us who you are."

"I can't do that," the man said with pain in his voice. It was hurting him too. "I'm sorry, but I can't."

"Why is that?"

"Because I erased myself for a reason!"

"So it was you," Wendy said. She found herself shaking. "It was you who casted the spell and erased all our memories."

The man looked upset. Probably at himself for talking too much. "Yes," he managed to say.

"Why?"

"To protect my family."

"There must have been another way!" Wendy said frantically. She felt herself get so close to the truth now. "Why? Why would you sacrifice yourself for us?"

The man looked stunned and so did Natsu, who was digesting every information that was given to him. "Because," the man said with a sad smile. "You guys matter to me. More than everything on this earth."

"That's it!" Natsu said. He was trembling and he looked deeply shaken. He raised his fist again. "You tell us what you know right now, or I'm going to beat everything out of you."

"You guys never listen to me," he said with a sad smile.

There was something about that deeply resonated with the dragon slayers. It hurt them. To see someone right in front of them and not be able to recognize who he was. Before anyone could have moved, Wendy felt her vision shake.

"No, this can't be happening," Wendy panicked. "I was so close!"

"What's happening?" Natsu demanded. He must be waking up too.

"Your family is calling for you," the man said. "It's time to wake up."

"I'm coming back," Wendy said. "I'm coming back again and you're going to tell us everything."

The man shook his head. "It's not how it works. All I wanted to do was see you guys again and you guys seem to pull this out of me, but I've had enough. This is getting too dangerous."

"No!" Natsu yelled. "I don't care! We're going to figure this out. I don't know who you are, but I will know you eventually."

"I said stop," the man said. He looked sad to say the things he had to say. "Please, it's not like I want you guys to not know me, but you will get hurt doing so. This is the land for the lost souls. You guys don't belong here."

"We don't care!"

"Wendy…"

"We don't care," Wendy cried out. "We don't care. We just want our family back. And we know you're part of it. So please come back to us. We want you back where you belong."

The man patted her on the head as her vision was fading away. He had a sad smile on. "I'm so sorry," he said. "I already am where I belong."

And with it, everything faded into oblivion.

"Instead of one fool, now it's two."

Wendy woke up before she opened her eyes. She didn't bother to look up at everyone. She knew that they were worried. She knew that everyone was concerned with her antics at the moment.

But she just didn't care.

She was still next to Natsu and it seems that he woke up to. He just sat there, sitting with his arms crossed looking down. They both had the coat on.

"This is getting ridiculous," Carle said.

"She's right," Erza joined in with a frown. "I expected better from you, Wendy. You too, Natsu."

They both didn't bother to respond, remembering the dream that they had. _Flame brain_, he called Natsu.

Wendy felt Natsu's body tremble and she knew that he was holding it in. "It's okay, Natsu-san. It's okay. I understand. I feel the same way."

And with the permission, Natsu let out a pained roar. While everyone was taken aback, Wendy just sat there, hugging the coat closer to her and crying. Natsu also himself cried. He was clenching his fists and shaking his head around. They were a mess.

"What's going on?" Lucy asked frantically. "What happened?"

Everything and nothing. Such was a thing called limbo, the land between the dead and the living. Wendy had ventured into purgatory twice, and she couldn't save the person who was lost there.

**I'm not going to lie, I kind of felt sad writing this. I'm debating on whether or not to make this a three-part series or four-part series, but we'll see. It depends on how I write my other projects... But I hope you guys enjoyed this and try not to focus too much on the logistics behind everything. I just wanted to write a story about the emphasis of Gray on people's lives. Let me know what you think!**


	3. Chapter 3

Dream: Part 3

"Now," Erza demanded. "Explain to us what on earth is going on."

Wendy was sat down, feeling the uncomfortable stares from her guildmates. Natsu right beside her. After the morning incident, they brought both the dragon slayers back to the guild and placed them as the center of attention. She saw that everyone stopped what they were doing and watched the scene unfold. Wendy didn't know how to respond.

"Why are you acting this way?" Lucy asked, concern on her face. "We're not trying to get you guys in trouble, we just want to know what's going on."

Natsu merely grunted in response. He refused to talk since they woke up. Wendy wondered if it was because he would break again.

"We want to help you," Erza explained. "But nothing is going to work out if you guys don't say anything."

Wendy sighed. She was reluctant to talk, but she figured it was bound to happen anyways. She was acting too sketchy for people to not notice. She felt the coat she brought with her got colder as if it didn't want to be exposed to the public's knowledge.

Before Wendy could tell them anything, she asked, "Do you think this is Fairy Tail?"

Erza and the others were taken aback by the question.

"What do you mean?" Carle asked. "Of course this is Fairy Tail!"

"No," Wendy said, shaking her head. "As in, do you think this is Fairy Tail?"

It took them to understand what Wendy meant. She heard whispers alongside the group.

"No, I don't."

"Bixslow!"

Wendy turned her head around, surprised to see the Thunder Legion and Laxus. She saw Evergreen trying to shush down Bixslow for a private matter. People were shocked to see that he responded.

Bixslow crossed his arms and look unapologetic. "The guild isn't acting the same after the war."

There was a tense silence that hung around the guild in what he said. It was true and everyone seemed to have reluctantly agreed with him.

"That still doesn't explain anything," Erza said as she stared back at Wendy.

Wendy stared back at Bixslow and the master who sat at his spot on the bar. They both nodded, giving permission. The necklace on her was freezing. She took a deep breath. Would they believe her? Was it a good decision in the first place?

_Courage_. She gripped her necklace again. She would not falter here. So she told them everything. Everything. From the dream, from the interaction with the man, from the soul search with Bixslow, the lost art with the master, and the memory of the dream with Natsu. She told them everything. Everyone was silent, afraid to interrupt or ask questions.

After she was done, she took out a deep breath, trembling. Public speaking was not the skill she had. She wondered if it was good enough. She winced at the silence the guild provided.

"So you're telling me," Erza said. She looked sick. "That the ice caster was one of our guildmates."

Wendy nodded.

"And we can't remember because he added in lost art to erase his existence."

Wendy nodded.

"And now he's stuck in the land of purgatory, unable to die or live."

Wendy nodded. She laughed on the inside. The entire story sounded absurd.

There was an eruption of screaming and yelling around the guild. It was a frenzy of questions and remorse. It was a sight that Wendy was afraid to see, especially her close friends. Erza look liked she had been stabbed. Lucy was crying along with Happy. Cana dropped her alcohol. And Juvia…

Drip. Drop. Wendy looked out the guild to see it was raining.

"ENOUGH."

Wendy flinched at the sight of Master, rolling his chair toward the center of the guild. He approached Wendy.

"I was afraid that this would happen, but given the problem that we have," Master said, "it's time to act like adults and fix it. Now, you said you met the person twice."

Wendy nodded. It wasn't something she wanted to talk or even think about, but she had figured it was going to something that would help them bring back their family member.

"Right," the master said. "We'll work off of that."

It wasn't much, but it was enough to regroup and encourage the guild members. They had a determined look on their face. Wendy hoped it was enough.

"Okay!" Levy exclaimed. "I think we have enough to work with what's given." She got out her magic pen and started to write for everyone to see. "So I think we're dealing with something that's related to both souls, memories, and ice."

"I may be able to use my magic to see the soul of the caster," Bixslow said. "But, the only problem is that I can't. Now that I think about it, it's probably the lost art that was stopping me from reaching him."

"You think it would be a good idea to call in Rufus?" Juvia asked.

"The guy from Sabertooth?"

"If Juvia recalls," she said. "I think his magic is related to making or evaporating memories. Perhaps he can help out with the situation with our amnesia."

"Good thinking," Erza said, nodding in approval.

"Call in Lyon."

"Natsu!"

Everyone was shocked to see Natsu talk, for he had been quiet the entire time. He crossed his arms and legs, looking down at the ground.

"The mage from Lamia Scale?"

"Him. And maybe Ultear to, if possible."

"I can see that," Lucy said, considering over Natsu's suggestion. "Them being ice mages could possibly help out with the situation. Good thinking, Natsu."

He merely shrugged in response. Wendy looked at Natsu, wondering his motives. "That wasn't the only reason, is it?" she asked.

He only stared at the ground. Wendy continued.

"You think they're related to this, don't you?"

Wendy didn't bother to see Natsu's response, because she already knew the answer. She felt it too.

"I'll go explain to Lyon everything."

"You don't have to," Erza said. "We can explain it through the lacri-"

"Erza," he said, to her surprise. "I think this is something worth telling him in person."

Maybe it was the sincerity in his voice. Or the delicacy. But she nodded in return. He got up and left, leaving most people confused.

"Natsu-san…"

"Don't worry about him too much," Lucy assured, but she was also glancing back with worry in her eyes. "I think he's taking this whole thing a little too hard."

Wendy understood where Natsu was coming from. She understood what it meant to bring this into the guild. She also felt the need to walk away from everyone talking. It sounded ridiculous, but she valued the idea the man reached out to her. specifically. She felt a bit possessive and jealous over the friendship she felt she had with the ice castor over everyone else. She quickly shook that off.

"Alright, everyone!" Erza said. "Let's get to work!"

And with an uproar, the guild quickly went to do what it could. Research. Networking. And probably visiting the site for more information. All in hopes of bringing back the mage who saved them all.

"Do you see this, Ice-san?" Wendy asked. She made a tentative smile. There was enough hope in her to think they have a chance to bring him back, but there was also enough fear to think that he was a lost cause.

* * *

They had explained their goals and situation to everyone who they thought could help. Sabertooth. Lamia Scale. Blue Pegasus. Lyon was the first to rush in, practically demanding Wendy to explain everything to him.

"I told him everything," Natsu said. "But he wants to hear it from you."

Wendy understood what he meant and sympathized with Lyon. She would have done the same thing and judging the look on Natsu, he would have as well. So she did. She told him everything.

"So he knew Ur," Lyon mumbled to himself. "He knew Ur…"

Wendy tilted her head. She could smell the people tick in, but she glued her eyes back on the ice mage. "Lyon-san," she said. "Do you know anyways we can reverse the spell?"

"Well," he said uncertainly.

"Moondrip."

Both Wendy and Lyon turned to see that it was Natsu who answered it. He was leaning across the guild's supporting beam. "Well, not technically, but it would have been able to melt down a normal iced shell. Not this one because I doubt a lost art can be melted that easily."

"How do you know this, Natsu-san?"

Natsu shrugged. "Galuna Island. But try not to ask more, because it's getting fuzzy."

Wendy nodded her head. She saw more people do their works. To her surprise, she watched an old women walk in. "Well," Lyon said, gaining back her attention. "I'm sorry for the trouble I caused. I'm going to help out where I can. Take care, okay?"

"It's no problem," Wendy said. She watched as Lyon approached the old women. She wondered who it was and why smelled so familiar. But she quickly dismissed it as she heard Bixslow called for her. She quickly got up, she was going to do what she could.

As she was working, she wondered what the guild was like before the war. She wondered what it was like with the ice caster. She imagined him being part of the rowdy brawls, fighting against Natsu and Gajeel. She imagined him drinking with Cana. She imagined him reading a book with Lucy and Levy, denying his own hobby of reading. She could see him helping out with Mirajane or letting Juvia flirt with him. She imagined him talking to Erza and being the only one capable of letting Erza be honest about her feelings. She imagined his presence as they went on jobs. She wondered what the guild was like as a family and she could only hope it would be the same again.

She wanted to be the same again. And she thinks she couldn't without the ice caster.

* * *

They had done what they could and the guild called it a day. Maybe they made progressed. Maybe they didn't. But everyone was willing to put on the brave face and meet the next day with the same hope to bring him back. Wendy decided to take a detour, visiting the site again. It became a habit for her.

As she approached the site, she first smelled and then heard him. It was Natsu again. She didn't bother to ask as she stood behind him. He was sitting down, not acknowledging that Wendy was there. Maybe he didn't know in the first place.

"Everyone is trying to bring you back," Natsu said. He crossed his legs and looked up to the statue. "And…a part of me is wondering if it's possible." He made a soft laugh. It was weird for Wendy to see Natsu like this. He was so brash and reckless, but after the incident with the ice, Natsu became older. Sadder. And more tired. It was a sight that Wendy only wished was temporary. "Not that I'm willing to give up on it, you know?" There was a significant pause of time. Natsu only sighed.

"I'm not a fool. I met you with Wendy and I knew it was you. Don't ask me how, but I knew. The first thing I had to do when I saw you were- well, I wanted to punch you because you had a punchable face. But, it was more than that. I wanted to smile. And that means something. You meant something and it hurts to know that you erased it. It hurts to know that you erased what we had.

As I said, I'm not a fool. I know why you did it. It was because of me, wasn't it? E.N.D and my fate with Zeref… I know you did this because it was the only way to defeat Zeref without killing me. But I should have stopped you. Whoever you were, I should have stopped you. Because there could have been another way. I know there was another way we could have defeated Zeref. It's so stupid of you to think that sacrificing yourself was the only way out. But it's not just that. Why did you bother to erase yourself? How disgusting is that? Why?"

Natsu only sighed as he recollected himself. And of course, there was no response back. He took a moment and spoke again. "I didn't care what the odds or chances where. I didn't care how bad it seemed. I didn't want you to die for your friends. Please, I know you're listening from the Limbo place like last time. Please. Let my voice reach you."

There was something about it that only made the situation sadder. She felt the necklace she wore grow cold as if it was also lamenting over the circumstance Fairy Tail was in. She was about to talk before someone had beat it to him.

"Oh? You guys are here too?"

Both Wendy and Natsu turned around, surprised to see Lucy. She was carrying a bag, much to their curiosity. "

"What are you guys doing here?" Natsu asked, also taking note the Wendy was there.

Wendy was going to confess that she had been eavesdropping the conversation between Natsu and Ice, but Lucy stepped up and approached next to Natsu.

"I guess I also wanted to talk to Ice today," she said with a sad smile.

"Well, I just finished my chat with Ice princess, so he's all yours," Natsu said as he got up.

"Thanks," she said. "Although, do you always have to give him a weird nickname?"

Natsu shrugged. "I'm pretty sure that's what I called him before. Besides, he can correct me afterward."

"Yeah," she said, a bit surprised. "I guess you're right."

"Well, have a blast, Lucy. Wendy. I'll see you guys tomorrow." And with it, Natsu left them.

"Good to see you, Wendy," Lucy said as she got out a bunch of papers from her bag.

Wendy tilted her head. "Nice to see you too. May I ask what the papers are?"

"My manuscript," she explained. "I'm done writing my second novel. I don't know why I felt the need to bring it here when I visit, but I guess it's natural. I think he would have been the person to read it without my permission."

"That's oddly specific, Lucy-san." Wendy laughed. Lucy laughed along with her.

"I guess so," Lucy said. "But… I guess I can't help to shake off that feeling. That's what he would have done"

She gave Wendy a quick apologetic glance before reading over her manuscript. And before Wendy said anything, Lucy read her story out loud to the ice sculpture and unintentionally, to Wendy. A tale about a boy who had lost everything because of a demon. The story of a lost boy who struggled his way forward but eventually doing so with the help of the friends and family he met along the way. When she finished, Wendy sat there stunned. It sounded too familiar.

"Lucy-san," Wendy asked. "How did you think of the story?"

Lucy looked toward her. "Shortly after the war," she said bashfully. "I'm thinking about calling it 'Shades of Gray'. I don't think of it as a creative story, but rather an autobiography. I wonder why?"

Wendy didn't know, but hearing the title made her hitch a breath. Her necklace never felt colder and she wasn't sure what it meant. But before she could respond, Lucy looked back at the statue with regret and sadness. "You were the first person to read this story," she said. Wendy wasn't sure if Lucy was talking to her or to the statue. "I hoped you liked it." She sighed. "I wish you were here to read it yourself." Lucy smiled at the thought as if she imagined the ice mage alive with them. "I can see it. I can see you sneaking around to read the end of my book. And I was going to kill you for it, but secretly really appreciate your feedback and edits. I think you would have been one of my best friends. Maybe you were until you casted that horrible spell. When you come back-" she paused to stop herself from crying- "we're going to have words. I'm going to stick the idea of how sacrifice is not good into that thick skull of yours. Understand?"

The statue didn't respond. And Lucy only sighed. "I-I didn't mean it to sound like I'm mad. I mean, I am. But I'm not mad, mad. If that makes sense." She snickered. "So much for being an author. But I guess I'm saying things right now because I miss you. I miss the home that I found years ago when Natsu brought me. I know you were a huge part of it. I can feel it. And even when you tried to erase yourself, you were too important for us to simply forget. Hadn't thought of that, did you?

"I'm just blabbering right now, but I guess what I wanted to say is…I wish you were here."

Lucy turned to Wendy again and Wendy could see the tears in her eyes. "I have to go now," she said. "I'm probably going to submit this to my agent when I get home. Don't stay here too long again. Or Erza will get angry."

Wendy could only nod as she was still chewing over what Lucy had said. The story had triggered her into a state of panic. Memories that she felt should come, didn't. Her senses and anticipation were skyrocketing. She was alarmed, and yet…

Demon. Deliora. Ice. Shades of Gray.

Gray…

"GRAY"

**Spring break ends for me...so goodbye freedom! I'll still write, so you can relax or not, depending on if you like my writing...But here's the third part and just to let you know, I'm planning on finishing this story by next chapter and hopefully I can close everything out. Please review to let me know what you thought of the chapter!**


	4. Chapter 4

Dream: Part 4

"Those whose memories fade seek to carve them in their hearts."

-Pokemon

Wendy was sprinting. Gray… How could they have been so stupid to forget Gray? Through the sheer luck and coincidence, Wendy managed to piece together the vague memories and knowledge of the ice mage. Gray… That was his name. He was an ice mage of Fairy Tail, close to both her and Natsu. She wishes she had more information, but she was on the right path. She finally figured out the ice mage's name. She would tell the guild on her founding and they would be a step closer to rescuing him. She ran like she never a before back to the guild, in hopes that some people were still there. But as she approached the guild, she felt her vision waver. She felt light-headed and drowsy.

No! She screamed. Not now! But nothing could stop her from blanking out. She was scared to see herself close her eyes, but nothing could stop her as she slowly sank into the void…

She woke up with a jolt as soon as she felt her eyes close. She got up and looked around, surveying the area. She needed to get back to the guild. Her sole focus was to tell everyone about Gray and nothing was going to stop her. As she was still frantically surveying around, assessing her location, a voice called to her attention that made her freeze in an instant.

"You're being a bad kid, Wendy."

She turned to see the man. Gray. He was wearing cargo pants with a black shirt. He looked annoyed.

"I know you," she said.

"Yeah," he said. "Because we met twice before."

"Your name is Gray," she said. He flinched as she took a step forward towards him.

"I don't know what you're talking about," he said. "You're just making rand-"

"Stop playing this game with me! Your name is Gray and you are a part of the Fairy Tail Guild."

Gray didn't respond as Wendy was now right in front of him. They were face to face, but Gray looked away, unwilling to meet the intense gaze. "Was," he mumbled out.

"What?"

"Was," he repeated. "I was a part of the guild. Not anymore."

"That's ridiculous!" she snapped. "You're part of our family and you can't just escape out of it!"

"I can and I will!" he shouted back. Wendy flinched to see the cold, angry look in his eyes.

"Why?" she asked in desperation. She didn't understand. Shouldn't he be happy that someone remembers? Shouldn't he be happy that people are trying to bring him back? "Why are you acting like this?"

"Like what?"

"Like you want to stay here than with your family. Do you hate us that much?"

Gray was taken aback by her accusation. "I don't mean it to be like that," he stammered. "It's just… it's dangerous for you. The lost magic drags anyone that tries to fight it. Just by trying to remember me, you're risking your own life. So don't. Don't go after something that is only going to put your own life at risk."

"Well, what if I want to?" she said defiantly. She crossed her arms and stood her ground. She was a healer for a reason. To save people. And she'd be damned if she couldn't save her family.

"Wendy…"

"I don't care about this lost art. If I get stuck here with you, then I'll rescue both of us out."

"Stop putting your life in danger for someone else," he yelled as he faced Wendy. "This is for your own sake!"

"That's rich, coming from you," she said coldly. Gray didn't respond back and Wendy knew that she had won the argument for now. "When I go back," she started to say.

"If that's possible," he muttered.

"I'm going back to the guild," she continued. "I'm going back to tell everyone and then Bixslow is going to help me bring your soul back into the real world."

"Hard to bring a soul you can't remember."

"Then we'll get Rufus for help."

"You brought Sabertooth into this?" He didn't look happy at all.

"Not just Sabertooth. Blue Pegasus. Lamia Scale. We brought everyone to save you."

"Why?" he desperately asked. "You're only bringing more people in danger when you do this!"

"Because we all want to you back, Gray-san."

She saw Gray grit his teeth and clench his fist. She thought he was going to make an outburst, but he only sighed and sank to the floor. He mumbled something that she couldn't catch. "What was that?" she asked.

"You guys never listen to me," he said. He sounded exhausted and tired. All of the anger was sapped out of him. "How many times do I have to repeat myself?

"Forever," she said. "Because we're going to ignore it every time."

"I'm not worth this much trouble," Gray said wearily. "There's a reason why I decided to erase myself."

Wendy was taken aback. She wasn't expecting that. Gray just continued to talk.

"I… I know my life's worth shouldn't be taken lightly because of the people who were willing to sacrifice their lives for it. My father. Ur. Ultear. Juvia… I know that. But still, I shouldn't live my life as a burden on everyone."

"But that's what family is for," Wendy explained.

Gray only shook his head. "No, I lost that privilege when I tried to kill Natsu out of my impulse. I have no place for the guild.

"That's not true!" Wendy cried out. "We need you."

Gray looked up and offered her a small smile. "Your persistence means a lot, Wendy. Thank you. Even if I don't like it, it warms me to see you try so hard to bring me back."

"I'm going to succeed. I'm going to bring you back to the guild, right where you belong."

"Please," he begged. "If you ever cared about me, then don't.'

"That's not fair," she said. "You can't just say that."

"I care too much about the guild's safety. I'm not going to jeopardize anyone I care about anymore because of me."

"Is that why you decided to erase yourself from everyone?" she asked incredulously. "Because you don't have any faith in us"

"That's not what I meant," he hastily said.

"Sure sounds like it," she retorted.

"All I wanted from you guys is to be happy," he said. "And it seems that's not possible with me around. I erased myself to make it easier for you guys."

"But it's not!" she cried out. "It's not! You can't just erase our memories and expect us to be happy. It doesn't work that way!"

"Wendy…"

"You risked your life without acknowledging how much you mean to us! How selfish can you get?"

"I…" Gray started to say. Wendy's vision was starting to fade again.

"What's happening?" she asked as she collapsed.

"It seems like you're returning," he looked relieved. "You'll go back to your world and everything will be fine."

"You seriously think I'm just going to let this slide?"

"Wendy," he said. "I'm not joking around here."

"Neither am I," she said determinedly. She couldn't see him, but she didn't have to. "You risked your life to save us. I have the right to do the same."

He didn't respond and Wendy was expecting to go back to her world until Gray sighed. "Tell everyone… that I'm sorry. I'm sorry for all the trouble that I cause."

Wendy shook her head.

"Wendy…"

"I won't have to," she said. She slowly fading out. "Because you're going to apologize to them yourself."

* * *

Wendy opened her eyes to find herself near the guild. She felt tired and exhausted. Maybe it was the limbo draining the life out of her, but she didn't care. She burst through the door, gaining everyone's attention.

"Wendy?" Erza frowned. "What's wrong? Where were you the pas-"

"Gray!"

"Wha-"

"Gray! His name is Gray. The ice mage's name is Gray!"

She saw Lyon and Natsu bolt up, alarm in their eyes. "How did you-"

"No time, Natsu-san!" she said with a rush. There were rustles among the guild and Wendy frantically looked around, searching for the mage she knew could help him. "Bixslo-san!" she called out.

"Yeah?" Bixslow said as he popped up.

"I need your help again. We're going to draw out Gray's soul!"

He scratched his head. "How are you planning on doing that?"

"By combining our magic," she said, determined. She thought over this as she rushed to the guild, growing more confident in its plan. "I can use my Milky Way along with your magic to bring out his soul."

Bixslow hesitated. "I remember last time I tried to draw him out," he said uncertainly. "The lost attribute will-"

"The lost attribute will try to stop us from reaching him," she admitted. "It'll most likely draw us to the purgatory as well."

"Then…"

"I believe I can help with that."

"Rufus!"

Wendy turned her head to see the Sabertooth mage. After informing him a week ago, he was kind enough to assist in their pursuit to bring back the ice mage. "If I recall," he said. "The lost attribute exists to erase his existence. I think there's a way for me to combat that."

"Thank you," Wendy said.

Rufus nodded in return. "But it won't be easy," he warned. "If the ice mage was as powerful as he seems, then it won't be easy to break through the magic."

"It's something we just have to deal with." She turned to face Lyon. "We also need your help, Lyon-san."

Lyon looked surprised. "What can I do here?"

"You're an ice-maker mage. Is there a way where you can redirect the ice magic from the iced shell? If the ice is still alive, then maybe we can mold it into something else."

Lyon hesitated. "In theory," he said uncertainly. "But I'm not sure if-"

"We don't have the opportunity to be uncertain," Natsu pressed. He seemed shaken ever since he heard Gray's name and Wendy understood his restlessness. "We finally have a chance to bring him back."

As Lyon closed his eyes, Wendy wondered how badly Lyon has been affected by the whole event. He opened them with a new resolve in his eyes. "I'll go bring back the statue."

Wendy nodded. "Thank you."

Natsu stood up. "I'll help you."

As they dashed to get the statue, Wendy turned to face Bixslow again. Things were happening too fast and there was a nagging doubt in Wendy's heart. But the image of Gray found its way in her mind and she threw the useless doubt away. There was no turning back.

"I can use my Milky Way to find a stray soul," she explained to Bixslow. "But it won't be enough for a soul that's fighting to hide. I need your help to draw it out into our reality."

Bixslow nodded. "It won't be easy."

"No, but it can possibly bring out Gray and that's all that matters."

"Where does Lyon come into this?" Erza asked.

"I'm thinking," Wendy said. "That the iced shell is literally the bounded soul of Gray."

"You mean," Lucy said. "That if we managed to reshape the ice…"

"I think we can free Gray's soul."

"That's a nice theory," Erza nodded. "But it leaves a lot of holes."

Wendy shrugged in response. She got up and started to draw the magic circle to perform the spell. She wasn't going to idly wait around for Lyon and Natsu to show up. "I'm thinking," she said as she added the second layer. "That we would use the necklace."

"Right," Bixslow nodded. He stepped into the circle. "We'll have to materialize him before we can do anything else."

"Anything we can do?" Levy asked.

The guild was intently watching Wendy as she finished her work. Wendy looked up to offer her a smile. "Helping out Rufus-san. It won't be easy to fight against the lost attribute."

"How do we do that?" Erza asked.

"Right now," Rufus explained. "I sense holes in everyone's memories, including mine. I believe the magic is actively trying to replace cover the memories rather than erase it."

Erza frowned. "What do you mean?"

Rufus touched the outlines of his hat. "I know memory repression when I see one. The magic doesn't seem capable to wipe out the memory as much as it tries to conceal it."

"You're telling us," Lucy said. "That there still there? Our memories of Ice- I mean, Gray?"

Rufus nodded. "When I draw out the magic repression, you will all need to be able to fight against it."

When Lyon and Natsu came back with the ice, Rufus tried to explain the role to them. They just grinned in response.

"Memories. Ice. Got it."

With the ice in the center of the circle, Wendy took out a breath as she took out the necklace and placed in on the ice. She took a deep breath, clutching the sword. "We're going to save you," Wendy muttered. "I know we are." She walked to her position and knelt down. Bixslow placed his hands on her shoulders.

"You ready?" Bixslow asked with a grin. Wendy only nodded in return.

Wendy chanted the words, allowing the magic to surge inside of her. She threw her arms in the air, concentrating the focal point on the necklace. The wind blew furiously around the circle. She felt a green glow from Bixslow. She closed her eyes.

Gray-san…Can you hear us?... I know…you're there… Waiting to be brought back…to Fairy Tail.

Fairy Tail…

Wendy immediately opened her eyes. Found him. "Bixslow-san!"

"Yeah, I know!"

Wendy called out one more time, hoping to latch onto the faint silver trail. She felt a pain strike her as she got closer. She screamed out.

"What's happening?" she heard a cry out. Probably from Lucy.

"Fighting," she said. "It's trying to lash out." Despite the pain, she held on. She felt herself grip onto the trail of a silver aura. It was cool and refreshing.

"Got him!" Bixslow said. He immediately clasped his hand together and let out a yell. The magic circle intensified in its color. And with it, Wendy mentally pulled against the silver trail with all her might. It was working.

"I thought I told you to stop."

"Gray-san!"

There, in front of the entire guild, was Gray. He looked pale and sickened.

"You're…"

Gray turned around to see the familiar faces. Lucy in tears and Erza had her knees collapsed to the floor. Everyone refused to take their eyes off of him.

"Umm…Hey, everyone."

"You're…" Lyon struggled to say. His hands were trembling.

He offered them a sad smile. "You wouldn't know, Lyon."

"No," Lyon said. "I do. I know I do."

Gray just shook his head. "I know you don't. The lost attribute won't allow it."

"Not if I can help it," Rufus said. He held his fingers near his head, concentrating. He was sweating and seemed to be having a tough time fighting against the oblivion.

"Don't, Rufus," he said softly. "I know you're strong, but it won't work."

"But it must," he said. His face scrunched up in concentration. "I must break this."

"You don't have to do anything," Gray insisted. "Please, stop."

"This is my pride as a memory make wizard. It's my job to right the wrong!"

"I don't know what you mean."

"It's wrong," Rufus said, gritting his teeth. "It was wrong for you to erase yourself like that.

"I did what I had to."

"How dare you? How dare you try to erase yourself from your family. Do you honestly care so little about how they've felt?"

Gray flinched at the accusation. "It had to be done," he mumbled. "It was the only way."

"That's bullshit!"

Gray turned around in shock. "Natsu…"

"You thought you could be forgotten," Natsu growled. "But that's not how it works. The bonds and memories that you tried to erase will be there no matter what." He clasped his fist over his heart. "Because a part of you will always be with us."

Before Gray could respond, they heard a loud cry in pain. They turned to see Wendy and Bixslow, who was trembling.

"I told you!" Gray cried out. "Forcing me here is putting a strain on you!"

"I…don't…care" Wendy gritted.

"You're right where you belong, you bastard," Bixslow said. His arms were shaking uncontrollably.

"Don't you get it? If this doesn't go right, you'll be placed in purgatory like I am," Gray desperately asked. "I didn't want any of you risking your life for me!"

"WE DON'T CARE!"

"Wendy! Please, stop!"

"I'M NOT GOING TO STOP! IM NOT GOING TO STOP UNTIL I LITERALLY DRAG YOU BACK HERE! I DON'T CARE. I DON'T CARE IF THIS PUTS MY LIFE IN DANGER. FAIRY TAIL NEEDS YOU!"

Gray took a step back. The sight of the mages fighting against the magic was too much for him.

"Lyon!" Natsu cried out. "Shape the ice!"

"On it!"

"Everyone!" Rufus called out. "I pulled the layer. Shape your memories. Now!"

With a roar, the entire guild shook out of their shock. They poured their magic, fighting against the blinding pain of Lost Attribute. Gray looked around, not being able to take in the sight. Lyon reached the ice, exploding his magic to reshape it.

"Everyone…why?" he asked. "Why won't you let me go?"

"Because," Natsu gritted. He took a step forward. "We don't want you to die! Let our voice reach you!"

Gray took a step back.

_I didn't want you to die back there…_

_You must not forget, Gray…_

"I was the one who forgot something important…didn't I?" Gray muttered to himself. Gray closed his eyes. He felt his body starting to feel heavier. His vision was warped. He smiled. "You guys…are impossible."

Wendy made a loud cry and with it, a small explosion occurred. She landed on her back and everyone else was propelled to the wall.

"What happened?" she asked as the smoke cleared. She felt her heart stop as she saw a figured appear. Lyon, who was blown across the guild, was smiling.

"Ice make…Gray. I told you dynamic magic was better."

The figure delicately got up, looking as if he wasn't sure that he was alive. Wendy was trembling at the sight.

It was him. It was Gray.

She let her legs run like they've never run before. She was sobbing. Natsu followed suit, along with the rest of the guild. She tackled-hug him and felt a wet drop on her head. Gray was also crying. She refused to let go of him as she felt Natsu, Lucy, Erza, Juvia, Cana…Everyone was swarming him. Never has she seen such happiness from the guild.

They finally found their ice mage.

* * *

It was a party like she had never seen before. There were cries of joy all around. Fairy Tail was finally able to throw the party it always had in their memories. Although Gray was still too weak to fight, he would bicker with Natsu over the most useless stuff.

"That's my necklace, flamebrain! Give it back!"

"Jeez, don't get so worked up about it, ice princess!"

They had their heads pressed and they were shouting on top of their lungs. The entire guild cheered at their antics. No one bothered to stop them. Not this time.

"Boys," Erza shook her head. She sat next to Wendy, watching her childhood friends bicker. She tried to sound annoyed, but she failed. Wendy could see the water swell in her eyes, but Erza quickly wiped it away before anyone could notice.

The party lasted the entire night. As they were still going strong, Wendy felt the need to walk out for a bit. She felt the cool night breeze hit her face. The roars were felt behind her and Wendy walked to the balcony, a beautiful view of Magnolia. The dim lights. The river. The sleeping buildings with their sleeping people. It was a view that Wendy was used to. But despite the commonness from the sight, never has the city looked more beautiful to Wendy. Magnolia was finally home again.

"Hey, thought I could find you here."

She turned around to find the man.

He offered a delicate smile as he walked next to her, leaning on the rails. They both enjoyed the silence, allowing the cool breeze and the city night to do the talking. The bustle of noises from the guild could be heard behind them.

"You must be in your rebellious stage, the way you completely disregarded me," he started to say. Wendy was about to retort on how he was the one who never listened, but he continued. "But…that's how I'm here with my family again. So maybe it was for the best." He turned to face Wendy. "Thank you."

"I did what I had to," Wendy said bashfully. "Someone had to drag you back."

Gray gave her a short laugh. "You somehow managed to do so. Despite not even remembering me."

Wendy shook her head. "Well," she said hesitantly. "I was thinking about it. And…"

Gray raised his eyebrows, curious. "And?"

"And…Thinking back at it, I don't think it actually worked. Your spell, that is."

Gray frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Well," she said carefully, thinking over her words. "We still had our memories of when you were there. Sort of. I mean, the memories were fuzzy, but I did know someone was there with us. But we still remembered you in a way that the Lost Attribute could never do. Sure, we did forget about your name and what you looked like, but we were never able to forget who you were and what you meant to us, Gray-san."

Gray sighed. "So I'm told."

"We're serious," Wendy insisted. "Why do you always deny your worth?"

Gray just shook his head.

"You're doubting us," she frowned. "Why?"

"I'm not really doubting you guys," he said. "It's fine."

"It's clearly not. Gray-san, please."

Gray tensed his shoulders and took a shaky breath. "I don't think you would understand."

"Maybe not," Wendy admitted. "But I still want to try to be there for you. Because you were there for me."

Gray carefully looked at Wendy. She offered a smile back.

"I didn't cast the spell to cause trouble," he said. He looked away, facing the city again. "But…" he sighed. "I guess I was just so tired of the pattern in my life. I had so many people I cared about protecting me."

"Doesn't that mean you're loved?"

"I guess," he shrugged. "But I saw myself so undeserving of it. What gave me the right to live over them? I didn't want Ur to cast that spell for me."

"Neither did we," she silently muttered.

Gray made a hollow laugh. "And I went to go did it anyways."

"Can you really blame Ur for what she did when you did just the same?"

Gray hesitated. He was silent. "It's not the same."

"It's precisely the same."

"It's different," he insisted.

"Why?"

"Because she to give up Lyon. She had to give up on Ultear. She had to give up on everything she cared about. Just for my sake."

"What about your future? What about your future with us, Fairy Tail?"

Gray sighed. "It's not simple and I can't really say for myself on my thought process behind it," he admitted. "But I did what I thought I had to do to make things right. Zeref was immortal. Natsu was not. If we managed to kill Zeref, Natsu would be dead in the process. Iced shell doesn't technically kill. It was a viable solution."

"So you were willing to sacrifice your life for Natsu?"

Gray snorted. "Don't tell the idiot I said that. Then we would actually have to think that we care for each other."

But you guys do, Wendy thought. But that thought was kept to herself.

"Besides," Gray said. "Better to have Natsu than me."

Wendy's smile faltered. "You don't…actually mean that, do you?"

Gray shrugged. "Maybe. Maybe not. But you can't deny Natsu's importance to the guild. He's the heart of the guild. He's the fire that ignites everyone, the one who inspires courage to those who hear his name. Every opponent we face, Natsu will be the one to take down the strongest of them. That's the fire dragon slayer."

He was leaning forward again, looking at the city. His voice held no self-pity or jealousy. Just acceptance. And that's what scared Wendy.

"What about you?"

"Huh?" He sounded surprised.

"What about you, his rival?"

Gray considered it for a while before answering. "The stripping ice boy?" He laughed at his joke. "I don't know. Any battle that Fairy Tail ever faced, there's really not much significance I add."

Wendy blinked, not really believing what he's said. "You're not serious are you?"

"I mean," he coughed. "I don't mean it to sound like I'm worthless or anything, but I guess I just didn't find myself to be worth much as people tried to put in."

"Gray-san…"

"Sorry, Wendy," he offered her a smile. "I didn't mean to try to say it in a way where I'm coming off as I hate myself or something like that…it's just…yeah, I mean…yeah…I'm sorry, I didn't mean-woah!"

Wendy ran to hug the ice mage. Talk was cheap. She couldn't say that he did matter. That he mattered so much that they would still miss him even when he made them forget their memories. She couldn't say that he was an older-figure to her and how he inspired her to become strong as well. She couldn't say that it was true, Natsu was the heart of the guild, but what good is a heart without a soul? And Gray was the soul of Fairy Tail. She couldn't say all the things she wanted to. But she could show it. She didn't let go as she firmly held onto the ice mage, hoping that if her voice couldn't reach him, that her actions would.

The ice mage didn't respond, awkwardly standing there. He then sighed. "Yeah," he said. He then embraced her, patting her on the head. "I understand."

She could smell the clean pine trees and mint. Finally, he was home. She wished they could stay like that for a while.

"Am I interrupting something?"

"What do you want, Flamebrain?" Gray rolled his eyes as they broke apart the hug.

"You haven't been back in a while," Natsu said. "The party is for you, after all. I would suggest you enjoy it while you can before Erza and Lucy are going to yell at you for being an idiot along with the rest of the guild."

"I know," he said wearily. "Don't remind me."

"Hmph," he said as he approached the two. Wendy noticed as spark shining on Natsu's neck, along with his white scarf.

"You're still wearing my necklace, Flamebrain," Gray said, obviously irritated.

"I think I like this too much to give it to you," Natsu said. He grinned as he showed the necklace on his neck to Wendy. "I mean, this is amazingly crafted. How can I trust you with it."

"I'll keep good care of it," Gray said. "I promise."

"You broke the promise last time."

Gray sighed. "Because I had to."

"No, because you wanted to."

Gray just stared at Natsu and Natsu stared back. "I'm keeping this," Natsu said.

"Natsu," Gray said. "I'm sorry."

Natsu just scowled.

Gray held his hands out. "It's a promise."

"Don't make promises you don't intend to keep," he snarled.

Gray didn't move or flinch. Instead, he smiled. "I won't have to worry this time," he said.

"Why is that?"

"Because you people never listen to me when I want you to."

Natsu faltered a bit. He eventually sighed and took off the necklace. He placed in on top of Gray's hands, but still held onto it.

"Let go, Natsu," Gray said softly.

"No," Natsu said determinedly. "I won't."

Gray just sighed. "No," he said. "You never do."

But Natsu did release his grip on the necklace and Gray let out a breath of relief as he wore the necklace. Seeing it on made Wendy let out hers. It felt right to see it on him.

She watched the entire action and felt herself laugh. For as much as they deny that their friends, they cared awfully a lot about each other.

_Natsu...You don't have to worry anymore. I'm here._

_How can I be so sure you won't do it the fifth time!_

_Because you'll stop me when the time comes again._

_When will I ever reach you?_

_You already have…You already have…_

Wendy smiled. She grabbed onto both the ice mage and fire mage's arms. "Come on!" she said excitedly. "The guild's party is waiting for us."

"Yeah," Gray said.

Between her older brothers, Wendy felt safe and happy again. True, she didn't know a whole lot about what Gray was going through. It was also true that he still felt the burden and guilt in his life that Wendy couldn't imagine. But if there was one thing that Fairy Tail taught her, it was the idea that everyone in her life was a gift. It wasn't because she earned it or anything. It's not about deserving love or friends. It's about appreciating them. It's about the gratitude in who they were and what they meant to you and what you meant to them. Your family and friends are a precious gift in life. And Wendy hoped that someday, Gray would understand that. As Wendy and Natsu looked at Gray with such a smile, they hoped that one day, Gray would be able to see himself the way Fairy Tail see him. He was truly, a gift.

Natsu and Gray laughed along with her. For now, this was fine. Everyone was happy. They were going back to the party where Fairy Tail would wait for them. They were all going home.

**Aw man, aw man. I finally finished! Writing this was a blast and I had a lot of fun writing it in the perspective of Wendy's POV. I hope you guys enjoyed this one!**


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